Caring for the skin you’re in. Looking for that beautiful glow you used to have? It’s still there. Is it possible that it’s hidden under layers of dead skin cells waiting to be sloughed off you body with a mild exfoliation? Indeed it is.
From your forehead down to the tips of your toes, you can have dead skin cell buildup. Every 28 to 40 days, depending on your age, your skin replenishes itself. In this process of replenishing, your skin dies and eventually sheds. You will see signs of it as dry, flaking skin. This will stop your glow.
Not all of these cells fall off, making it easy for them to begin to stack up on top of each other. What causes this?
Maturing skin – Maturing can cause dead skin cell buildup. As good as you might feel and look, the process of shedding dead skin cells slows down. Hence the 40 days mentioned above.
Not Cleansing and Exfoliating Properly – Not cleaning and exfoliating your skin will cause your glow to stop. The dead skin cells won’t leave if you’re not cleaning your skin morning and night. Cleaning daily is a must. Exfoliation can take place at least twice a week.
Moisturizing – Using a good moisturizer is a key component to glowing skin. You’ll want a product that will hydrate as well as moisturize. Dehydrated/dry skin is more prone to dead skin cell buildup.
Dry skin can trap dead skin cells that are ready to shed.
Changing Climates – Did you know that dry as well as cold and frigid temperatures lack humidity. Your skin will often lose its hydration which can trap dead skin cells and cause buildup. Too much sun exposure can suck the moisture from your skin as well.
I mentioned exfoliation earlier. For your face, you’ll want to use products that will not damage your skin. One of the ingredients to look for is jojoba wax beads. They allow you to remove dead skin cell buildup gently. They will melt as you exfoliate your skin. You do not need a lot of any product that contains them. They are a fine grainy product, a little goes a long way.
When exfoliating your body, a combination of sea salt, find grained turbinado sugar, Shea butter and oils can help remove dead skin cells. This combination of ingredients will help remove dead skin cell buildup from your body, gently and bring your glow back.
If a body scrub or facial exfoliant aren’t available, a wash cloth, loofah, body brush or hand mitt will also aid in removing dead skin cells. Just be more gentle when working on your face.
When done on a consistent basis, it’s not hard to keep your glow. Maintenance is the key. A weekly schedule, all year long, will give and help you keep your glowing skin.
There’s a tendency to slack off when the temps cool off. Nope. Don’t do it. Cooler temps will create more dryness. If you’re not working to keep buildup at bay, you’ll have to work harder when the warmer temps arrive.
Twice a week at minimum. Your skin will thank you for it.
That’s it for this week. As always …
Dedicated to Your Beauty,
Juliette Samuel,
Esthetician/Author/Publisher